[PHOENIX, AZ] Get ready to “Celebrate the Source” by indulging in a creative connection between our daily lives and natural materials at the Design for a Living World exhibition beginning January 16, 2012. The Nature Conservancy and the Desert Botanical Garden bring this world-renowned exhibition to Phoenix following successful stints in New York City and Chicago. Design for a Living World will have you wondering where the cotton for our shirts and the beans from our coffee come from.

“If we can bring to light the positive impact using natural resources can have on protecting people and places, we’ll be breaking ground for a more sustainable and healthier future, “says Patrick Graham, state director of the Conservancy in Arizona. “There are growing pressures on our natural resources in Arizona and around the world. We want people to start considering the source of their daily lives so they’ll be inclined to protect those resources, and, in the long run, become more efficient.”

The Conservancy asked ten world-class designers to study our work in ten different areas. From the grasslands of Idaho to the forests of the China Province, they were charged with creating an innovative, yet practical product using natural materials.

The exhibit features usable products made from sustainable sources. Israeli industrial designer Ezri Tarazi created the Living Forest, a living room made from bamboo harvested in the Yunnan Province, China. The living room includes a lounge chair, torchere floor lamp and other everyday items crafted from large bamboo stalks. Isaac Mizrahi turned what is typically a waste product of the salmon industry into a high fashion dress. “I saw the salmon skin and thought I could do something incredibly glamorous with it because it resembles leather,” remembers Mizrahi. “The way it is finished is somewhat shiny and sparkly.”

Other cool designs include a handbag made from palm leaves by Paulina Reyes of Kate Spade New York. Plus, Maya Lin crafted a striking piece of furniture that highlights the beauty of a single tree.

Conservation and sustainability are a critical part of the Desert Botanical Garden’s mission, making this exhibition a natural partnership. According to Garden executive director, Ken Schutz, "Design for a Living World will inspire our visitors to see the natural world, especially plants, for the critical role they play in sustaining humanity and the rest of life on Earth. The exhibit offers hope for those who mourn the rapid decline of biodiversity, and celebrates the creative spirit that makes us unique as a species."

Design for a Living World is sponsored by presenting sponsor Northern Trust and supporting sponsors APS, Certified Folder Display, Cox Communications, The Dorrance Family Foundation, First Solar, SRP and Walton Family Foundation.

The exhibition will run from January 16 - April 1, 2012 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Desert Botanical Garden located at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix. To learn more about Design for a Living World, visit www.nature.org/azdesign.

Garden Admission Rates: $18.00 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students with ID, $8 for children 3-12 years-of-age; Garden members and children 2 years and younger are admitted free.

To learn more about the Desert Botanical Garden exhibitions and events, visit www.dbg.org.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have helped protect 130 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at nature.org/Arizona.

A “Phoenix Point of Pride”, the Desert Botanical Garden is one of only a few botanical gardens accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is a privately funded, non-profit organization and depends on revenues from admissions and gift shop sales, as well as contributions from individuals and businesses to fund its programs of environmental education, plant conservation and research.